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Smoke Rain Delivers Wildfire Nutrients | Salt Lake City News
Wildfire smoke isn’t just a hazard—it’s secretly delivering a nutrient-rich fertilizer to Earth. Scientists in Utah discovered that when smoke mixes with rain, it dumps nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium onto land and water, potentially boosting plant growth—or triggering harmful algal blooms. Using data from 250 climate sites, researchers found these rare “smoky rains” contribute 20-30% of annual nutrient deposition, and they’re becoming more frequent as wildfires intensify. While the Upper Midwest remains a hotspot, nutrient increases there are modest, leaving scientists puzzled. The big…
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